Reading Women Month: Spreading the Word About Women Writers

Dedicating a month to reading women writers both brings more attention to their terrific works and fulfills Reading Women’s mission to reclaim half the bookshelf.

In celebration of their first year podcasting, Reading Women debuted Reading Women Month to encourage everyone to read great books written by or about women throughout June.[*] As a member of the newly formed Women Writers Network, I love to see women’s writing being discussed and promoted. The latest VIDA count demonstrates that women writers still publish less than their male counterparts. Dedicating a month to reading women writers both brings more attention to their terrific works and fulfills Reading Women’s mission to reclaim half the bookshelf. You can show your support by using the hashtag #readingwomenmonth when you post about the books you’re reading on social media like Twitter and Instagram.[†]

A wonderful list, just finished reading Two Old Women and loved The Snow Child, in fact I was kind of lamenting that Eowyn Ivey’s follow up novel hadn’t been something more like Two Old Women rather than following a couple of male explorers (and the wife that stayed at home and learned photography), Han Kang is a legend already, Human Acts blew me away and The Vegetarian was good too. I’m happy to see Swing Time on your list, I shall read it this summer, I used to live in the same London neighbourhood as Zadie Smith, and I find her references to that area something quite unexpectedly delightful!

I know I have a preference for women writers and one of my favourite reading months is August, which for the past couple of years I’ve joined in and dedicated to reading #WomenInTranslation a wonderful initiative and way to discover some excellent and little known voices, my favourite book of 2016 in fact was a NYRB classic, translated from French to English called The Bridge of Beyond by Simone Schwarz-Bart, which I highly recommend.